Garden of Strawberries
by Temra Asakura
Summary: After an encounter with four strange hollows, Ichigo's and Rukia's world as they know will get turned upside down. Mysterious figures keep appearing in Karakura Town and will their appearances effect Ichigo's and Rukia's relationship? Who are these figures and are they connected somehow to the four strange hollows? What will happen when Ichigo meets these figures? Read to find out!
1. The Attack of Four Hollows Part 1

**Hello, readers! **

**This is my first fanfic so I hope it'll be a good read for all of you :) I also don't mind help from you guys in order to help improve it too. In fact, I would love to hear/read what you guys have to say about that as well as about what you think of my story so far :) I'll be waiting my awesome readers!**

**I hope you enjoy reading the first chapter of Garden of Strawberries!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does!**

* * *

**Garden of Strawberries**

**Chapter 1:**

The dark night sky was filled with shining stars and a full moon making the world below bathe in its ever glow. People and animals slept in peaceful harmony. The world was a sanctuary to all. However, this would soon change...

In the dead of night, a loud howl swept across the land. It woke the souls of the dead from their slumber, making them scatter in a panic. They knew they had to get away or else they would die. The sound of the howl grew louder and louder as the souls of the Karakura Town ran for their lives. They did not want to experience a painful death...

A little girl was holding her older brother's hand as the two of them ran away from the evil roar. They knew that the hollow was right behind them. While the two siblings turned a corner, the little girl tripped on a loose stone. She lost her grip on her brother's hand and fell face first to the ground. Her brother stopped in his tracks and ran to her side.

"Lillian, are you all right?" cried the little girl's brother as he lifted her back up to her feet.

"I think so, Richard," replied Lillian as she rubbed the new bump on her head.

"I'm so glad." Richard gave his little sister a smile before taking her hand in his again. "Now let's get going before-"

Richard couldn't finish his sentence as a monster with a white mask in the shape of a dragon's head suddenly appeared in front of them. Its skeleton like wings shut against its black dragon body as it stared at its new prey. With one final howl, it raised it's claw in the air, ready to strike. Richard pushed his sister away from him as the creature brought its claw down for the attack. Lillian hit a near by wall, but not hard enough to fall unconscious. She watched, tears streaming down her cheeks, as the beast was about to strike her brother. Richard closed his eyes, awaiting for the deadly claws to pierce his skin and end his life.

_At least, I can protect Lillian with my own life. I have no regrets... _

"Richard!" screamed Lillian.

The attack never came. Richard opened his eyes only to see a person clothed in black and spiky, orange hair. In the person's hands were two blades, one that was as tall as the average human and one half that size. Amber eyes soon locked with Richard's dark green ones.

"Get that girl and yourself out of here. I will handle this," spoke the orange-haired man as he cut off the monster's claw with his smaller blade. The monster cried out in pain as blood began to gush out from it's missing limb.

"Okay, but who are you?" asked Richard as he raced to his crying sister's side.

"The name is Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soulreaper," returned Ichigo with one last smirk. Richard watched as the man disappeared from his sight to fight the dragon-like monster.

"Thank you," spoke Richard as he hugged Lillian to his chest. "Let's get out of here."

"Richard...I'm glad you're okay..." sobbed Lillian as the two ran away from the battlefield.

Ichigo used flash step in order to get behind the monster for one final attack. Zangetsu, the name of Ichigo's longer blade, was about to slash the monster's mask when suddenly another dragon masked hollow came out out of nowhere. The appearance of the new hollow surprised Ichigo making him fall victim to its attack. Ichigo's body flew to ground after being swiped by the new creature. Luckily, the claws just missed him and just ripped the top of his robe. His grip on his blades never loosened.

Unlike the one that was after the siblings, this hollow was covered in white markings and tattoos all over its body. It looked to his companion, hurt and gushing out lots of blood. The new hollow got furious and roared loud into the night sky.

Ichigo quickly recovered from the new hollow's attack. With his blades in hand, the Substitute Soulreaper was about to strike again, however, the sight before made him stop in his tracks.

"What the hell?" was all Ichigo could say as two more dragon-like hollows appeared out of nowhere. They were similar to the original monster, however, one of them had a tail of made of bone and was covered in rubies. The fourth hollow had a body of a lion, wings made of bone, and a lizard like tail covered in spikes. They all surrounded the injured hollow and gave one final howl.

A bright light engulfed the injured hollow as its missing claw began to regenerate. When the process was complete, the light faded away. The once injured hollow looked at its companions as if thanking them. They all roared once again.

Ichigo had enough. He used flash step to close in on the group of hollows since he knew he had to stop them or else there will be trouble. Raising his blades above his head, Ichigo cried out.

"Getsuga Tensho!" The beam of blue light in the shape of two crescent moons rushed towards the hollows. However, the hollows dodged the attack with ease. The monsters were not happy. They all flew at Ichigo at a super fast speed, eventually surrounding him. One by one the Hollows began to attack the orange-haired teen.

Ichigo did his best to block each of the hollows' attacks. It began to become too overwhelming for him...

_What is with these Hollows? They seem to be too strong to be ordinary Hollows and their spiritual pressure is different. No matter how much I try to attack, I either miss or they just keep coming after me again and again.. Are they Adujchas? I know they're aren't Arrancars so what the hell? Damnit! _

The Substitute Soulreaper was getting tired from blocking and none of the hollows didn't give him enough time to go Bankai. Slash after slash, Ichigo kept blocking the attacks. He was able to strike the bone tail Hollow, leaving a scar that ran all the way down its left forearm. The lion body hollow, skeleton tail hollow, and the white tattooed hollow were keeping Ichigo busy by slashing continuously at him. While distracted with the three hollows, Ichigo didn't notice the one hollow he injured earlier coming up from behind. It had its claw ready for a fatal blow. Ichigo felt movement behind him and saw a hollow coming at him with the corner of his eye. He saw it coming closer and closer, it claws ready to slice him in two. There was nothing he could do...

"Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" cried a female's voice. The dragon hollow that was about to attack Ichigo from behind was trapped in a pillar of ice. With a swipe of her blade, the pillar of ice cracked in half. The ice fell to the ground in small crystals before fading away into dust.

"Rukia!" cried out Ichigo happily to the petite female figure on the ground.

Rukia was also a Soulreaper like Ichigo. However, Rukia was short and had small raven-colored locks the reached just below her chin. A spare bang fell between her violet eyes that sparkled underneath the moonlight. She was the person who awakened Ichigo's power by giving him her own. Since that day, the two Soulreapers have become the best of friends whose bond is unlike anything anyone has seen before. One could say, Rukia and Ichigo are two halves of the same coin...

The petite Soulreaper used flash step to get near Ichigo's side. She chanted, "Hado number 30, Shockahou!"

Red fire shot out of Rukia's hands like lighting and right at the three hollows. The hollows just dodged the kido in the nick of time. They were flying above the Soulreapers, more angry then ever since their friend was killed.

Ichigo turned to Rukia and said, "Thanks."

Rukia blushed and turned her head away so he couldn't see. "Your welcome, you idiot. Now let's finish this." Before Rukia could go after the hollows, Ichigo grabbed her by the sleeve of her black uniform.

"Be careful. I don't think they're normal hollows. I'm not sure, but their spiritual pressure is off, different from the hollows we normally fight."

"I will."

With one last glance to each other. The two Soulreapers went off to battle the hollows not knowing what will become of their future...

* * *

**That's the end of Part 1!**

**What will happen next? Will Ichigo and Rukia be able to defeat the dragon-like hollows? Why are they attacking Karakura Town in the first place? **

**Continue reading to find out and thanks for reading! The next chapter will be uploaded within a day or two :)  
**

**Hope to see you again :D**


	2. The Attack of Four Hollows Part 2

**Hi again, everyone!**

**I was able to get Part 2 done a lot sooner than I thought :) I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much, if not more so, then the last. **

**Here's chapter 2! xD  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does!**

* * *

**Garden of Strawberries**

**Chapter 2:**

The three dragon-like hollows watched as Ichigo and Rukia dashed towards them. The hollow with the white markings looked at both of his companions and spoke:

"Our comrade is gone now and without him, our power alone is not enough for us to return. Our original plan for the four of us to feast upon the most powerful souls of this world together and gain the power we need has fallen. However, as much as I hate that one of us is gone, there is still one more way for us to gain that power, return home whenever we want, and rule this place as kings. It will take time, but if I'm right, this plan will be successful and we'll become the most powerful beings in the universe and be allowed to feast and travel whenever we want! No one will be able to stop us!"

"What way are you talking about?" spatted the dragon-like hollow with the lion's body who was still pissed-off that one of them was slayed .

"I would like to know as well," asked the dragon-like hollow with rubies all over the its body.

The dragon-like hollow with white tattoos and markings turned to look each of the two and smirked.

"The way we came here, but with a little twist." The two other hollows' eyes widen in realization and they two smirked as they watched the two Soulreapers get closer and closer. "You ready, my friends?"

"We are ready," spoke the other two hollows simultaneously. The three hollows closed their eyes and began to concentrate all their spirit energy for their one last attack. A white light engulfed them into a cocoon. When Rukia and Ichigo were a few feet away from the monsters, they could only see a huge ball of light. They had to place their hand above their eyes so they wouldn't get blinded by it.

As quickly as the light came, it vanished into thin air revealing the three hollows with their fore claws and masks glowing the same color as the light. Their eyes met with those of Rukia and Ichigo before dashing towards at full speed. The two Soulreapers prepared their blades for battle.

Ichigo rushed in to fight with the creatures before Rukia could even blink. He held his blades before him and cried out, "Bankai!"

Instead of his normal Soulreaper clothes, Ichigo wore a black cloak that fanned out in the back like a cape. His blades didn't really change, but at any moment, he could combine his Soulreaper powers with his Quincy ones by fusing his two blades (1). To complete his bankai, a black armor necklace wrapped around his neck and a big black X laid across his chest (part of his old Fullbring).

"Time for you three to disappear. Getsuga Ten-!" A black light lined with red was about to shoot out from the top of his blades towards the hollows when suddenly they just flew past him before he could even release. Ichigo quickly turned and realized the hollows weren't after him anymore. They were after Rukia!

"Rukia!" shouted Ichigo as he used his Bankai's speed to try and reach her.

"Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" cried out Rukia as an avalanche of snow and ice headed for the monsters. The attack, however, didn't even touch them. It went right through them as if there was nothing even there. Rukia's amethyst eyes widen in horror as she watched her attack do nothing to her enemies. The distance between her and the hollows was becoming shorter and shorter every passing second. She could hear her heart pounding within her chest as the hollows surrounded her. They roared before maneuvering in for their final attack...

Blood sprayed across the night sky as glowing claws stroke flesh. A claw sliced down the back, one across the chest and one up the abdomen, ripping the cloth in those areas to shreds at the same time. Blood was on her cheek yet Rukia could not feel any pain. She looked before he and her eyes widen in fear for the second time that night. In front of her was Ichigo Kurosaki, her closest friend and comrade, the man who she'll risk everything to protect. He had taken the attacks from the hollows in her place. Blood was dripping out of his wounds as he turned to face Rukia.

"Hey, Rukia. I'm glad I made it in time..." spoke Ichigo before falling. Rukia caught his body before it could reach the ground. She used flash step to put some distance between them and the three hollows. As she maneuvered away, the hollows watched until the two of them were hidden from their view.

When the petite Soulreaper was a safe distance away, Rukia laid Ichigo's bleeding body onto a patch of grass.

"You fool, why did you do that? I would have been fine. I've been through worse..." whispered Rukia.

"I'm not a fool and I'll do anything to protect you no matter what you say. I don't exactly listen to you, remember?"

"That's true," mumbled Rukia as she gave Ichigo a small glare. Ichigo gave a weak laugh at her expression.

"I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Rukia. Those months you were away, I was so miserable... You make the rain go away..." The orange-haired teen's words made Rukia blush a bright crimson. She turned her face away so he couldn't see her blush.

"You don't know what you're talking about, you idiot," was all Rukia could say at the moment.

"Who are you calling an id-" Ichigo let out a loud scream. The wounds that were afflicted upon him began to burn. The burning sensation that Ichigo was experiencing was getting more worse by every passing second.

"Ichigo!" cried out Rukia. Seeing that her friend was experiencing and screaming from immense pain, she quickly began using her healing kido on Ichigo's wounds. She hoped that her healing kido would ease the pain and close the wounds. The kido was closing the wounds little by little, but the burning sensation Ichigo was experiencing was still there and getting worse. Eventually, the wounds rejected Rukia's kido all together before she had the chance to fully close them. Ichigo's screaming became even louder than before.

_Damnit! Why isn't my kido working? Ichigo needs help and I can't even do anything. I hate feeling useless!_

Tears threaten to pour from her eyes, but she held them back. Just for a second, Rukia turned her focus from concentrating on her kido to look at Ichigo's face. What she saw made her heart want to break. With her jaw clenched, Rukia turned her attention back to the orange-haired Soulreaper's wounds. As she was ready to reactivate her healing kido, she noticed Ichigo's wounds were glowing. They were glowing like the dragon-like hollow's fore claws and masks earlier.

_What's going on?_ With that question in mind, Rukia continued to try and get her healing kido to work on Ichigo's wounds. She had to.

Ichigo let out one final scream before falling into the darkness of unconsciousness. The light coming out of his wounds and the burning sensation vanished completely. The pain was unlike anything had ever felt before...

Rukia watched as her companion's body go limp.

"Ichigo! Ichigo! Wake up! Wake up, Ichigo!" exclaimed Rukia as she tried to shake the teen awake.

_Damnit, Ichigo, you need to wake up! You can't die just yet! Your family, your friends, and everyone you want to protect still needs you! I need you! Wake up now, you stupid strawberry! _

The three dragon-like hollows observed the Soulreapers from afar. They looked at them and then to each other. The hollow with the lion body spoke up first.

"We got the wrong target! Damnit!"

"Calm down. The plan isn't completely ruined," said the hollow with the white markings.

"What do you mean its not ruined? I thought we had to get the girl in order for it to work!" shouted back the hollow with the lion's body.

"Plan B didn't go according to plan, but it will still work out just differently then I had imagined. We'll still be able to devour the most power souls and gain the power we seek and be able to return home whenever we please. Now come. We must return and wait for the right time to come back to Karakura Town. It'll take time for all of the pieces to fall into play... Until then, we'll just feast on the weaklings of Hueco Mundo." The dragon-like hollow with the white markings used its claw to slice open in the night sky. This portal led back to Hueco Mundo. He flew though it leaving the two others behind.

"Alright. I'll follow with this plan of yous, but it doesn't mean I like it!" yelled the hollow with the lion's body before flying into the portal.

"This should get interesting," spoke the third hollow as he followed his comrades.

The portal to Hueco Mundo shut, leaving no trace of it ever being there.

* * *

**********(1): Spoiler Alert! I read the Bleach manga up to the point where Ichigo trained with the members of the Royal Guard and had learned about his mother's death. His one blade becomes two, however, I don't have any idea what his new bankai is like so I made that part up. Just wanted to let you know!**

**Here ends chapter 2 and yet there is so many questions!  
**

**What do the dragon-like hollows have in store for Ichigo and Rukia? What is there plan? Will Ichigo wake up?**

** Continue reading to find out and I hope you enjoyed reading!  
**

**Please review :D**


	3. The Fight Against the Crimson Red Knight

**Hi again, Readers!**

**Chapter 3 is out now xD The story is going to start getting much more interesting from here on out and the title of this story will start to make sense as well :) **

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the third chapter of the Garden of Strawberries!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. Tite Kubo does!**

* * *

**Garden of Strawberries**

**Chapter 3:**

Ichigo was slowly waking up from the darkness of unconsciousness. He blinked a couple times to clear his vision and sat up in a sitting position. When his vision fully cleared, the Substitute Soulreaper took a look at his surroundings. What he saw before him shocked him to the bone.

_Where the hell am I? _

Before him stood Renji Abrai, his friend and comrade, wearing chain mail and dark crimson red armor. A black cape was attached to the shoulders of the armor. By looking at the cape more closely, Ichigo noticed a baboon's face with a snake wrapping around it engraved on the cape. The engravement was in red. Renji's long bright red hair was not in its usual ponytail either. It was down and it wrapped around his neck and shoulders. The armor also had black markings on it very similar to the tattoos on his face. A metal blade was in the grasp of his dark crimson red gauntlets too. It looked like Renji's zanpaktou when it is released into its shikai state (kind of like a sickle sword but bigger). Renji looked like a knight from a fairytail.

"Have you given up already when we have only begun, your highness?" taunted Renji while pointing his sword at Ichigo.

"Renji, what are you talking about and why did you just call me 'your highness'? What's with the getup too? It isn't the middle ages anymore," replied Ichigo giving the red head a weird look.

"Wow, your highness, you must of hit your head a lot harder then I thought." Ichigo cringed at Renji calling him "your highness".

"No I did not and stop calling me 'your highness!' It doesn't sound right." Renji could of swore a vein popped in his forehead.

"What do you mean it doesn't sound right? I've always called you that since we were little kids!"

"I didn't meet you till I was fifteen, you stupid pineapple."

"You must of really hit your head really hard, your highness, and don't call me 'pineapple!' You know I hate that nickname!" shouted the knight who was getting ticked off.

"Why would you hate your nickname?" began Ichigo with a smirk on his face, "it suits you perfectly or do you prefer stupid baboon. Either way, I'm fine with it." By the look on Renji's face, the orange-haired teen could tell his friend was completely pissed off. Ichigo always loved pushing Renji's buttons whenever he got the chance.

"That's it, you stupid strawberry! I don't care if your my king. I'm going to make you pay for calling me that!" yelled Renji as he dashed towards Ichigo with his blade ready to strike. Renji was fuming with rage.

"Who are you calling strawberry and I'm no king!" shouted the Substitute Soulreaper. As if on instinct, Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu that was to his right and dashed towards Renji. He didn't have the time to notice that Zangetsu was in it's bankai state when he faced against Ginjou, leader of the Fullbringers. The two swords clashed with such force that the metal of the blades created sparks.

"Give up, your highness, you can't beat me," said Renji with a smirk as he put more strength into his blade. Ichigo was being pushed back little by little.

"Just watch me." With that, Ichigo used all his strength to try and knock Zabimaru out of the knight's hands. Renji fought hard against the orange-haired teen's strength by giving in his all. However, Ichigo's strength overpowered his in the end. Zabimaru flew out of Renji's hands and into the sky.

_Damnit! I lost... _thought the red head as Ichigo's blade was pointed at his throat.

"I win," spoke a smirking Ichigo. He removed Zangetsu from Renji's throat and brought it to his side.

"Shut up," replied an annoyed Renji as he walked to the other side of the room where Zabimaru laid.

"Where are we anyways?" asked Ichigo as he put his sword over his shoulders.

"What are you asking me that? You know where we are."

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking now would I," answered Ichigo dumbly. Renji let out a sigh of frustration.

_What's with him? He's asking things he should already know. It's as if Ichigo doesn't know where he is or who he is..._

"We are in the training grounds of Karakura Castle, my lord."

"Training grounds of Karakura Castle?" repeated Ichigo as shock and fear appeared on his face.

"Yes. Don't you remember?" Renji was directly facing Ichigo by now. "You wanted to train with me to improve your skills, today. Is something wrong, your highness? You can't seem to remember anything," said Renji who was starting to worry.

_W-what the hell is going on! Why am I in a place called Karakura Castle? It doesn't make sense! The last thing I remember is rushing to protect Rukia from the hollows and getting slashed by their claws. I was also talking to her when I began to feel that pain... That pain was unlike anything I felt befor-_

Ichigo's hold of Zangetsu suddenly loosened. The blade fell to the ground, making a loud clang as it reached the cement's surface. Renji's eyes widen as he watched his comrade's body fall face first. The Substitute Soulreaper's body made a loud thud as it connected to the floor of the training grounds.

"My king!" cried Renji as he raced to his fallen friend. Before the knight could even reach him, four claw marks on Ichigo's back began to glow. The white light was too much for Renji's eyes to take so he had to turn he eyes away. Eventually, the light engulfed Ichigo into a cocoon.

_Damnit. Not again... _The pain Ichigo felt earlier when he was with Rukia returned. Only this time was different. It was four times as worse... The orange-haired man let out a scream.

"Ichigo!" was the last thing Ichigo heard before he fell back into the darkness of unconsciousness...

* * *

"The first piece of the puzzle has fallen into place," spoke the dragon-like hollow with the white markings all over its body.

"How do you know?" questioned the dragon-like hollow with the lion's body from its spot on the dessert sand of Hueco Mundo.

"Do you see how our comrade's body is glowing?"

"Yeah," answered the lion body hollow.

"That is how."

"I still don't understand..."

"You will in time, my friend," replied the hollow with the white markings. The two hollows watched their friend who was covered in rubies glow. The hollow covered in rubies was soon engulfed by the bright light...

* * *

Somewhere in Karakura Town, a man with a crown on his head awoke from his slumber. He stood up, leaning against a wall for support. The man rested a hand against his forehead since it ached. Once his vision was clear, he gave a look to his surroundings.

_Where the hell am I? This looks nothing like my home and why does my back suddenly hurt? What's going on?_

* * *

**That's the end of chapter three!  
**

**It's the end and yet there are questions that are left unsaid.  
**

**What's going on with Ichigo? What are the dragon-like hollows talking about? Who's the mystery man that suddenly appeared in Karakura Town? **

**Continue reading to find out! ****I wonder if anyone will understand where this story is heading after reading this chapter. Hehehe. **

******Please review!**


	4. The Encounter with a Neko, King, and Inu

**Hi readers! **

**Chapter 4 is now out! Yay! lol. I'm getting these out pretty quickly, suprisingly. lol. Hopefully, I can keep it up! lol  
**

**Things are going to get more crazy for Ichigo so please read on to find out what I mean xD**

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does!**

* * *

**Garden of Strawberries**

**Chapter 4: **

Sunlight poured through a window making everything glow under its touch. Under the sun's rays, laid Ichigo on a futon asleep. He was covered in a blanket with a fresh cold wash cloth on top of his forehead. His soft snores filled the room as time slowly ticked by. Eventually, the sun's rays became too bright for the teen to continue sleeping. Slowly, Ichigo opened his eyes so he wouldn't get blinded by the bright light.

When the Substitute Soulreaper was fully awake, he tossed the blanket aside and sat up. As he did so, the washcloth fell into his lap. Wanting to know where he was, Ichigo examined his surroundings.

_This place looks very familiar. Who do I know that lives in a place that is similar to a traditional Japanese home from the Feudal Era? It's on the tip of my tongue. Oh, wait. I remember now! It's-_

Suddenly the door to the room Ichigo was in flew open at super fast speed, slamming into the nearby wall hard. The sound of the door slamming surprised Ichigo so much that he let out a loud shriek.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Kisuke! You scared the living shit out of me!" screamed Ichigo to the culprit who was standing in the middle of the doorway.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo, I didn't mean to scare you. I just came to see if you were awake yet," replied the culprit who hid his grin behind a fan.

"As if I'll believe that. You did it on purpose!"

"Why would I do that? It's not like I planned on scaring the crap out of you and then record it on film to use as blackmail. Nope, not at all."

"Y-you recorded it?" All color drained from Ichigo's face.

"Of course not," answered Kisuke Urahara as he waved his hand dismissively. "I'm just messing with you."

Ichigo felt a vein on his forehead pop.

"You bastard!" shouted the Substitute Soulreaper as he gave Kisuke an upper cut.

"Ow, what was that for!" cried the store owner as he covered his bruised chin with his hands.

"That was for messing with me so don't do it again!" yelled back Ichigo as he pointed a finger at the man.

"Of course I'm going to do it again. It's just too much fun!" replied Kisuke with a huge grin on his face.

"I hate you," mumbled a very frustrated Ichigo as he glared at the shop owner.

Kisuke was wearing his usual green and white striped bucket hat where his blonde bangs peeked out from underneath. He also wore his normal green robes and traditional sandals that he seems to wear all the time; his natural look.

_Kisuke seems to be his usual idiotic self. Thank goodness! No more weird stuff. Renji being a knight in shining armor and calling me "his highness". That was just too weird and kind of creepy... Was that all just a dream? It didn't feel like an ordinary dream though..._

"Hey, Kisuke, I was wondering about something."

"What is it?" asked a curious Kisuke.

"Well-"

"Yo, Kisuke, is Ichigo up yet?" spoke a voice very familiar to Ichigo.

_Why do I suddenly have a weird feeling about this? _

"Yep. He just woke up, Renji," answered the shop owner to the man behind him. "You can let the others know. We'll be right there."

"Kay," replied Renji, "it's nice to see that you're finally awake, Ichigo." With one wave to the orange-haired teen, the red head left and headed back the way he came. Kisuke turned back to face Ichigo. What the shop keeper saw on the teen's face was a mixture of shock and confusion.

_W-what the hell! Why did Renji have cat ears and a cat tail?!_

* * *

Somewhere in Karakura Town, a man with a crown on his head was randomly walking around. He had no idea where he was going since the place was not his home. As he walked, people were giving him "what the heck is he wearing" looks. The man gave the look right back. He didn't understand why the people of Karakura Town were wearing what they were. The clothes were so unfamiliar to him.

_The people of this land have a weird fashion sense._

Eventually, the man ended up in front of an arcade. He had his face and hands pressed against the glass window as he watch all the people inside doing things he never really seen before. A lot of people, mainly kids and teens, were playing arcade games such as pinball and racing. Others were playing laser tag, dancing, or dueling with Yu-Gi-Oh cards on duel disks. The site of everyone playing games made the man's eyes widen in excitement.

_I want to try some of the weird stuff they're doing. It looks like fun!_

Unknown to the man, two male teens were headed his way. One of them was an average sized teen with short brown hair. He was talking to his friend like no tomorrow while making random hand motions. The hand motions were to make the story even more exciting, at least that's what the brunette teen thought anyway. The other teen was shorter then his brown-haired friend. He had shoulder length black hair and he had a cute face any older woman would fall for. His reputation was that of a player or womanizer.

"What games should we play today?" asked the brown-haired teen as they walked towards the arcade.

"It doesn't really matter to me, Keigo. I'll win like always," replied the shorter teen as he texted away on his cell phone.

"That's so mean, Mizuro!" cried Keigo.

"It's true," sighed Mizuro as he flipped his phone shut. The teen placed the phone in his pants pocket for later. "How about we play that new game called Soul Caliber 7? It's suppose to be a fighting game between two players."

"Sounds like fun! I can't wait to try it out!" shouted Keigo as his eyes widen in excitement. Keigo had heard about the game from a couple of classmates at school. Apparently, the girls of the game were really good looking. Being his perverted self, the teen was looking forward to seeing the girl characters.

Mizuro and Keigo continued to walk to the arcade when something to their right caught their eye. What they saw was a man with a crown on his head staring into the window, excitement and curiosity written all over his face. The thing that stuck out to the two teens was not the crown or the outfit he wore, but the color of his hair. The man's hair was orange...

"Ichigo? Is that you?" questioned Keigo to the man staring into the window. At the mention of that name, the man turned to face the two teens. Amber eyes locked with Mizuro's and Keigo's dark colored ones.

"How do you know my name?"

* * *

In Urahara's shop, the Substitute Soulreaper was sitting at a round table. A mixture of shock, and confusion could be seen on the orange-haired teen's face as he looked around the room. At the head of the table sat Kisuke fanning himself with his fan. On Ichigo's right sat Renji whose tail was twitching back and forth. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt that had the word "Chappy" in green lettering on the front. Over the shirt was a midnight black jacket vest unzipped. Renji was wearing a black head band which made his red hair look even brighter. Behind the hair band, was a a set of fluffy red cat ears. His hair was also in a a high ponytail.

To Ichigo's left side sat Sado Yastoura or Chad and Uryu. Chad was wearing a black hoodie that had a white tiger printed on the front. When Ichigo's amber eyes met Uyru's sea blue ones, Ichigo just stared at the teen. The Substitute Soulreaper couldn't look away.

"Do you mind?" spoke Uryu Ishida as he was getting irritated from Ichigo's staring. Ichigo just ignored him and kept staring. "If you don't stop staring at me like I'm a piece of meat, I'll make you!"

"Why do you have dog ears and a dog tail, Uyru?" asked a dazed Ichigo.

"W-what? Did you just seriously ask me that?" replied Uyru who was wearing a white long sleeve with a small blue cross engraved on left chest. His midnight blue Labrador dog ears and tail began to twitch in annoyance.

"No. Casper the friendly ghost did."

"I don't like the sound of your tone, Ichigo."

"Just answer the damn question!" shouted a fuming Ichigo. "Also, why does Renji have cat ears and a cat tail?"

"You must of hit your head really hard after you got knocked unconscious, Ichigo," said Renji as he gave his friend a weird look.

"I have to agree. Ichigo is acting more idiotic then usual," spoke Uyru as he pushed his glasses against his nose.

"Who are you calling an idiot!"

"Calm down, Ichigo. It seems you got temporary amnesia when you got knocked unconscious," explained Kisuke.

"Temporary amnesia?" repeated a confused Ichigo.

"Yep!"

"I guess that would explain Ichigo's idiotic behavior," spoke Uyru as he faced Kisuke.

"Stop calling me an idiot, you idiot!" yelled Ichigo. Uyru just ignored the teen.

"Rukia definitely did a number on him this time," said Renji as he crossed his arms against his chest. "Seriously, Ichigo, you really need to learn how to behave yourself even if it is that time of year."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember?" asked a flabbergasted Renji. "How can you not?"

"Because apparently I have temporary amnesia, you stupid pineapple!" shouted back a very irritated Substitute Soulreaper.

"Who are you calling a stupid pineapple! You know I hate the nickname!"

"Why?" began Ichigo with a smirk, "it suits you perfectly."

"No it doesn't, you stupid strawberry!" yelled back Renji as he slammed his hands on the wooden table. Luckily, the table didn't break from the force... "You're going to pay for calling me that!"

With that, Renji flew across the table and tackled the Substitute Soulreaper. Their bodies made a loud thud as they collided with the wooden floor below. Before Ichigo could recover from the tackle, the red head punched him square in the face. Ichigo bolted into a sitting position, covering his now bleeding nose with his hands. His head barely missed knocking into Renji's.

"That hurt, you bastard!" cried Ichigo through his hands while giving Renji a death glare.

"You deserved it!" exclaimed Renji as he gave Ichigo a head butt.

"Ow!" cried Ichigo, "you're going down, Renji!"

"Bring it!"

Kisuke watched in amusement as the two men began to punch and wrestle around the room. He hid his grin behind a fan so no one could see it. Uyru just pushed his glasses with his finger and closed his eyes out of annoyance. Chad, on the other hand, decided that he'll interfere and stop Ichigo and Renji from fighting if things got too out of hand. Eventually, the two ended up rolling behind Chad and Uyru...

"Ahhh!" screamed Uyru as the Substitute Soulreaper and his friend rolled over his tail, crushing it with their combined weight. Hearing Uyru's scream, Ichigo and Renji stopped their fighting to see what the noise was all about. What they saw made them begin to shake with fear. Before them stood Uyru with a very dark and intense aura surrounding him.

"Uyru, you okay?" questioned both Ichigo and Renji as they slowly backed away from the their scarey friend. Uyru didn't answer.

"Uyru...?" Suddenly, Uyru dashed towards them giving both Renji and Ichigo an uppercut to the face. The force from the upper cuts made the two men crash into the ground hard. All the strawberry and pineapple could see where stars dancing around them.

"Idiots," spoke the pissed-off Uyru as he began to regain his composure. "Why did I decide to make friends with nekos again?"

The word, "nekos", snapped Ichigo out of his daze. Ichigo gave Uyru a confused look when he asked:

"What's a neko?"

_Okay, what's going on here? Why does Ichigo keep asking questions that he should already know the answers to? It's as if he's completely clueless about everything yet he remembers who we are and our names... I'm starting to think his amnesia is not really amnesia... Time to see if I'm right._

"You should know what a neko is, Ichigo," replied Uyru.

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking now, would I?"

"You're amnesia must be worst then we thought," said Renji as he recovered from Uyru's upper cut. He was sitting cross-legged.

"I have to agree with Renji on that," spoke Kisuke as he shut his fan again. He placed it on the table before him. "You seem to know who we are, but not what we are."

"Huh?" was all the Substitute Soulreaper could say.

"You noticed it yourself, Ichigo, that Renji here has cat ears and a cat tail." Ichigo gave the shop owner a nod. "He has them because he's a neko. Uyru, on the other hand, has dog ears and a dog tail because he's what we call an inu. Inus and Nekos are two of the three co-existing species of this world."

"Two of the three co-existing species?"

"That's correct. The third specie is humans." As Kisuke explained, he pointed towards Chad. "Chad is a human unlike the rest of us."

"You're not human, Kisuke?"

"That's right. I'm not a neko or inu, however. I'm a species that has been long forgotten, but you already knew that." Ichigo's confused look turned into one of complete shock. Realization dawned on him that the place he was in was Urahara's Shop yet not the one he knew. He didn't know what to say to Kisuke and began to panic...

_Nekos? Inus? What the hell is going on here?! First I end up in a place called Karakura Castle where Renji was calling me "his highness" and now this?! It all has to be some kind of joke! There's no way any of this is real-_

From his spot on the floor, Ichigo suddenly grabbed his head with both of his hands. By the look on his face, Chad, Uyru, Renji, and Kisuke could tell that Ichigo was experiencing extreme pain.

"Ichigo!" shouted the four men at the same time. They raced to the Substitute Soulreaper's side. As they were getting closer and closer to their friend, they noticed four horizontal claw marks on his stomach glowing...

_Why am I experiencing this pain again? It keeps getting more worse each time! Damnit! It hurts so much..._

A loud scream left his lips as Ichigo fell to the ground on his side. The light from the claw marks began to engulf him into a cocoon shell. Before everything went completely black, the last thing Ichigo saw was his four friends dashing towards him, shouting out his name and reaching to grab one of his hands...

* * *

In Hueco Mundo, two dragon-like hollows laid in the dessert stand. They were watching their friend with a lion's body begin to glow a bright white.

"I think I understand now," spoke the dragon hollow with the lion's body as it was engulfed in the white light.

"Piece number two is now in place," spoke the pleased dragon-like hollow with the white markings covering its body.

"How much longer will we have to wait?" asked the third dragon-like hollow with the rubies all over its body.

"Not too much longer, my friend" answered the hollow with the white markings with a smirk upon his face.

* * *

In an alley way, somewhere in Karakura Town, a man began to regain consciousness as sounds of passing vehicles and people chatting reached his ears. At the sounds, his cat-like ears twitched as the man tried to recognize where he was. Unfortunately, the sounds could only tell him he was outside somewhere in town. His eyes fully opened as the pain in his mid-section began to register to his mind.

With his stomach pounding in pain, he wrapped his arms around his mid-section as his cat-like tail began to twitch. He hoped that the pain would go away. After sometime, the pain subsided enough for him to stand up and walk out of the alley way.

_What's wrong with my stomach? It still hurts..and why was I in an alley way in the first place? It doesn't make any sense. What's going on?_

* * *

**End of Chapter 4! **

**What will happen in the next chapter and who is the new person who arrived in Karakura Town? Is Ichigo really dreaming?**

**Continue reading to find out!**

** I made a Yu-Gi-Oh! reference in this chapter since it was one of my favorite card games to play. However, there so much to the game now that I don't really play it anymore... It still one of my favorite games and anime off all time though :) **

**Thank you for reading my story so far and I hope you all are enjoying it! The craziness has only begun! lol. **

**Please Review :D**


	5. The King's Fight & the Meeting of a Girl

**Hi, my awesome readers :D**

**Chapter 5 of the Garden of Strawberries is now out! Yay! lol**

**Sorry for the late update. Things have been pretty busy where I'm at, and I haven't had the time to upload it sooner. Sorry again! **

**To make it up to you all, this chapter will be quite a bit longer then the others :)**

**I wanted to thanks those who are following, favorited, and reviewed this story. You guys are super awesome!**

**I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter of my story xD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does**

* * *

**Garden of Strawberries**

**Chapter 5:**

A room was engulfed in a blanket of darkness. Inside of that very room, was a single bed in which two figures resided. Both figures laid on the bed in a deep sleep as time slowly ticked by. Outside, the clouds began to move with the wind, revealing the moon from the shadows. The rays of moonlight pierced through the glass of the room's single window, making the two figures glow in its bright light.

As the room lit up, the smaller one of the two figures began to stir. The figure rolled onto her back before opening her amethyst-jeweled eyes. Her eyes met the dark ceiling of the room as she rested a pale hand against her forehead.

_Damn. I feel so at peace yet I can barely move my body. I know I'm his partner and I can take being drank from, but it would be nice if he could control his thirst a little more. I don't have an unlimited supply after all..._

With those thoughts in mind, the figure with violet-colored eyes removed her hand from her forehead before getting herself into a sitting position. It was a little difficult for her since she felt pretty weak and drained from what happened earlier that night. Once she succeeded in sitting upright, the figure tossed the sheet that was covering her naked body off with a swipe of her hand before moving her legs off the side of the bed. Once her bare feet touched the wooden floor, the figure crouched over trying to reach the object she needed. Feeling as weak as she was, the figure had to use one of her hands to grab onto the side of the bed so she would not fall.

Eventually, her hand bumped into something soft yet big. The figure's amethyst-jeweled eyes widen in satisfaction as she quickly grabbed the soft yet big object by the strap. It was a backpack. Quickly unzipping the backpack, the figure reached inside, moving whatever was inside in search of the thing she needed. In no time, her hand met the object of her desire and pulled it out immediately from the bag. The object the figure wanted to find was a pouch filled with red liquid. Attached to the pouch was a skinny plastic tube which wrapped around it several times. At the end of the plastic tube was a needle. The object the figure sought was a blood transfusion pouch...

As quick as she could, the figure unwrapped the blood transfusion pouch and everything attached to it from its plastic wrap with the use of her teeth. She unwrapped the plastic tube from the blood transfusion pouch before hanging the pouch up on a nail on the nearby wall. Once that was done, she uncapped the needle at the end of the skinny plastic tube before inserting it into the middle of her left arm. When the needle poked through skin, she felt a small amount of pain. It did not bother her though since she was used to this by now...

Reaching towards the blood pouch carefully, as to not make the needle in her left arm move in anyway, the figure pressed a small switch on the bottom of the pouch. By doing this, blood began to slowly flow into the tube and into her arm. Even though the figure could barely move with the needle in her arm, she was able to turn her body just enough for her right hand to touch the figure that laid beside her. With a smile upon her face, she began to run her hand through the strands of the other figure's orange, spiky hair. While she did this, the figure with orange hair began to slowly open his amber colored eyes.

* * *

In Karakura Town, three males around the same age were standing outside an arcade. Two of them were giving the third party a look that said that he was insane. The third teen returned a look of confusion. After staring at each other for about five minutes, Keigo and Mizuro broke out laughing. They were laughing so hard that tears began to form in their eyes and were holding their stomachs.

"Wow, Ichigo, that was just too funny," spoke Keigo as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"What was funny?" spoke the orange-haired man with a crown on top of his head.

"You acting all serious and saying 'how do you know my name?'" answered the brown-haired teen as tried to imitate Ichigo. He bursted out laughing again.

"I don't see how that's funny," said Ichigo as he crossed his arms against his chest. He gave the two teens an annoyed look. "Now tell me why you know my name."

Keigo and Mizuro gave each other a weird look before bursting out laughing yet again.

"Will you two idiots stop laughing and just answer my question already!"

"We know your name because we're friends," explained Mizuro after he got his laughter under control.

"Friends? But I haven't seen either of you before," Ichigo as he pointed to Mizuro and then to Keigo. Tears began to form at the brown-haired teen eyes again...

"How could you say that Ichigo?!" cried Keigo as he dashed at Ichigo with his arms spread open for a hug. "I thought we were frien-"

On instinct, Ichigo outstretched his arm and punched Keigo square in the face. The teen fell to his knees, covering his now injured face. Mizuro just let out a sigh.

"Ichigo, that hurt!" cried Keigo through his hands as he stood back up. Ichigo turned away from Keigo and just ignored him. He was looking at his hand that just came in contact with Keigo's face. He kept clenching and unclenching it.

_That was weird. There's only one person that I punch like that... No way. It couldn't be..._

"Keigo?!" exclaimed the man with the crown on his head. "Is that you?"

"Of course it's me! Who else did you think I was?"

"Uh. Well..." Ichigo trailed off while scratching in imaginary itch on the back of his head. "Some weirdo on the street?"

"W-weirdo..." Keigo felt his jaw dropped as he went into a state of temporary shock.

"Being a weirdo is your specialty though, Keigo," spoke Mizuro as he gave his friend a small smile.

"You guys are so mean!" cried Keigo as dramatic tears fell from his eyes. Mizuro and Ichigo watched the brown-haired teen have a small temper-tantrum in the middle of the side-walk. They let out a sigh of annoyance at Keigo's antics. Eventually, Ichigo turned his gaze onto Mizuro.

"Are you Mizuro then?" questioned the orange-haired teen. He knew that if Keigo was around, Mizuro would surely be close by. They're best pals after all.

"Yep!" answered Mizuro with a smile. Ichigo gave his friend a small grin in return. By this time, Keigo had recovered from his temper-tantrum. He stood next to Mizuro, listening to his friends speak.

"I'm so glad to know that you guys are here too! You look a bit different in those clothes though. I thought I was all alone in this strange place..." spoke the man with a crown on his head. "Do you know where we are?"

Keigo and Mizuro exchanged a look before answering the question.

"We're in front of the arcade," said the two teens at the same time.

"Arcade? I never heard of such a thing before. What is this 'arcade' of which you speak?"

"You already know what an arcade is, Ichigo. The three of us have been here plenty of times hanging out and having a total blast!" answered Keigo as he started getting excited again. He really wants to try out the new Soul Calibur VII game.

"Keigo's right. You should know what an arcade is," said Mizuro as he took his phone out of his pocket. The raven-haired teen opened it up and saw that one of his girlfriends had texted him again. His fingers flew cross the different keys at the speed of light before hitting the send button and replacing the phone back into his pocket. Ichigo watched in amazement.

"Wow, that was cool! I never seen you do that before, Mizuro. What kind of technique were using? Is it something you learned from this strange land?" asked a very curious Ichigo.

"Technique? What are you talking about, Ichigo? Mizuro was just texting one of his girlfriends who he won't share with me," explained Keigo as he gave Mizuro a small glare.

"Texting? What's that?" By this time, Keigo and Mizuro face-palmed. The teens weren't sure why Ichigo was acting so weird today...

"Hey, Ichigo. Can I ask you a question?" asked Mizuro.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"Why are wearing a suit of armor, a cape, and a crown on your head?"

"You mean this?" questioned Ichigo as he motioned to his midnight black armor and blood-red cape. On the chest plate of his armor, a red grinning skull with two devil-like horns was engraved on it. The cape had a black sword and moon printed on it. "I'm wearing my armor and crown because that's what a king wears when he sets out for battle. Well, in this case, to the training grounds to face Renji. I'm so going to kick his ass." A smirk appeared on Ichigo's face as he imagined defeating Renji in another round of sparring. Pushing the thought of defeating Renji aside, he continued speaking. "But that's besides the point. Ever since we learned of Aizen's betrayal, we've been preparing to fight against his army. It is perfectly normal for a warrior or knight to wear armor. I also wear this crown since I'm the king."

"A king? You must of hit your head pretty hard or something like that. You're no king, Ichigo," said Keigo. "You're just a normal teen like me and Mizuro."

"Of course I am. You guys were at my crowning ceremony, remember? It was sometime ago but still..."

"We don't know what you're talking about," spoke Mizuro and Keigo in unison.

"Y-you should! I mean you guys are two of my best guardsmen and friends! Has this strange place erased your memory or brainwashed you?!"

"We're not guardsmen, Ichigo. Keigo and I are just normal teens living in Karakura Town. So are you. Well kind of... Okay, you're not exactly a normal teen but you're no king. Also, our memory is just fine. I'm worried about you though..." answered Mizuro as he gave Ichigo a look of worry.

"Karakura Town? Is this what this strange place is called?" questioned the man in black armor.

"Yes and its also the place the three of us grew up in," replied Mizuro.

"The place the three of us grew up in?" repeated Ichigo as his face filled with confusion. "That can't be right... We grew up in Karakura Castle where we wanted to become the best guardsmen and warriors of all time. Don't you remember?"

"Ichigo, we seriously don't know what your talking about. You're acting really crazy right now. Maybe you should head back to your house to get some res-" Mizuro wasn't able to finish what he had to say since the man in black armor grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him. People who were just waking out of the arcade stared at the group of three.

"Mizuro, you have to remember! We were training for the final battle against Aizen, the Dark One, at Sokyoku Canyon in a few days. You have to snap out of it!" shouted Ichigo as he tightened his grip on Mizuro's shoulders. Keigo was trying to get Ichigo to let go, but with no luck.

"Ichigo..." trailed off Mizuro as he looked at his orange-haired friend with soft eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about. Besides Aizen was already defe-" Ichigo's grip on Mizuro's shoulders tightened even more as he heard Mizuro speak Aizen's name. The grip was so tight that is made the raven-haired teen yelp in pain.

"Ichigo, stop! You're hurting him!" cried Keigo as he tried again to pull Ichigo off his friend.

"This his doing, isn't it? All of it!" exclaimed Ichigo as he shoved Mizuro away from him. The force of him letting Mizuro go made Keigo loose his grip on the orange-haired teen. Both teens fell to the ground, Keigo on his bottom and Mizuro on his side. They looked up at Ichigo with shock written all over their faces.

"What are you talking about?!" shouted both fallen teens at the same time.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" shouted back Ichigo. "This is all just an illusion to mess with my head! I guess that bastard finally made his move to use his power on me when I was at my most vulnerable state; when I was knocked unconscious during our sparring match. I knew I shouldn't have went to Las Noches Fortress where I ran into and fought that masked dragon-like beast. That beast must have been working on Aizen and just a distraction! Aizen used his damn hypnosis power on me when I was fighting it! Damnit!"

"Ichigo, will you calm down! Everyone is staring at us," spoke Mizuro as he got back to his feet. Ichigo just glared at him. "Keigo and I have no idea what you're talking about, but we do know Aizen is already gone. You had defeated him months ago!"

"You're lying!"

"I am not! Just ask that shop keeper, Urahara!" exclaimed Mizuro who was getting very frustrated.

"Why would I listen to an illusion like you? You two may look like my friends, but you're not!" yelled Ichigo as he gave Mizuro and Keigo one last death glare. With that, the king in shining armor began to stomp away. His cape blew in the wind as he moved away from the two confused teens.

"Wait!" cried the two teens as they began to run after him.

"Don't follow me!" screamed a furious Ichigo as he kept moving. Keigo and Mizuro stopped in their tracks. They didn't know what to do...

_Ichigo, what's wrong with you? _thought the two teens as they watched Ichigo's form disappear in the crowd that had surrounded them.

_I will find a way out of this illusion and return home if its the last thing I do!_

From a top of a building, sat a black cat with golden eyes observing the king.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soulreaper, slowly woke up from the depths of unconsciousness. As he opened his amber-colored eyes, Ichigo could feel a hand running through the strands of his spiky, orange hair. The hand in his hair, the way it moved so gently along his scalp with tiny fingers combing through the many strands, made Ichigo lean into the touch. For some reason, the Substitute Soulreaper felt at peace. The hand continued to caress his orange hair as if he was something so fragile it would break on the spot if touched the wrong the way.

The feeling of the hand in his hair reminded Ichigo of a time long ago, when his mother was still alive. A time where he had a horrible nightmare, one so bad that he woke up screaming. His mother, Masaki Kurosaki, had rushed into his bedroom that night and held the boy to her chest. She whispered sweet nothings to little Ichigo until he was able to calm down.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Ichigo. I'm here now and I'll protect you."

Eventually, little Ichigo had stopped screaming and crying. He hugged his mother with all his might before letting her go.

"Thanks, Mom" whispered little Ichigo as he got back under the covers of his bed. "Can you stay with me til I fall asleep? I'm scared..." Masaki gave her son a small smile.

"Of course I will. Now go to sleep, my son."

With that, little Ichigo gave his mother a small smile before snuggling into his big, blue comforter with a Quincy cross printed on it. As little Ichigo drifted off to the land of dreams, Masaki ran her fingers through her son's spiky, orange hair to let him know she was there and to help little Ichigo to relax. Once little Ichigo was fast asleep, she brushed through his orange spikes one last time before standing up.

"Goodnight, Ichigo. I love you," spoke Masaki in a soft whisper before kissing her son's forehead. With a smile upon her face, Masaki tip toed towards the door and out of the room. When Masaki left the room, little Ichigo had a big smile on his face.

The feeling of the hand in his orange, spiky hair brought back that memory of the night long ago. As he continued to lean into the touch, he spoke one word without even realizing it.

"Mom."

As soon as that one word left his lips, the movement of the hand in his hair came to an immediate stop. Confused as to why the gentle touch stopped, Ichigo opened his half-lidded eyes all the way and sat up. When he sat up, the hand in his hair fell onto the top of the bed with a soft thump. At the same time, the white sheet covering most of his bare chest fell into a pool of cloth around his waist. Once he was sitting upright, the memory of his mother faded away as he slowly came back to reality. Wondering where he was, the orange-haired teen began to search his surroundings.

_I don't know where I am and it's too dark to tell. The only thing I do know is that the only source of light is from the moon. Too bad it didn't lit up all the room. Then I could tell if I was home or at Urahara's Shop and not some strange place. I just hope those encounters with Knight and Neko Renji as well as Inu Uyru were nothing more then dreams... Imagining Renji as a knight or a neko and Uryu as an inu just give me the creeps. Why would imagine them as that in the first place? Weird... _

With those thoughts running in his head, Ichigo continued to look around the half-lit room. As he continued to search, he soon came to realize someone was touching his hair moments ago. After realizing that, Ichigo, with the help of his left hand on the surface of the bed, turned his body to his left. It was the only direction he hadn't look in yet. At that moment, amber-colored eyes connected with violet ones. Sitting before him, was a petite girl with medium length raven-colored hair that went just below her chin and whose right-hand rested upon the surface of the bed. Ichigo's eyes widened in joy as he instantly recognized the person before him.

"Rukia!" cried Ichigo in joy. At that moment, the orange-haired Soulreaper wanted nothing more then to tackle Rukia and give her a huge hug. Being the collective, cool guy he was and not wanting to get hit for invading her personal space, Ichigo kept himself from doing so. He instead gave Rukia one of his big, goofy grins. Seeing that big, goofy grin on his face made Rukia blush.

"Hi, Ichigo." began Rukia with a small smile upon her face, "You're finally awake. How are you feeling?" Ichigo turned his head to the side and placed his right-hand on his chin as he thought about how to best answer that question.

"Well..." began Ichigo, "To be perfectly honest, I feel totally amazing! I'm not sure why I feel so great, but I feel as if could probably take on a million hollows right now! I haven't felt this great in a long time!" Rukia could not help but laugh a little at Ichigo's enthusiasm.

"I'm glad you're that feeling well, Ichigo. It seems you have fully recovered."

"Yeah. That last battle did a number on me. I remember getting attacked again and again before falling to the ground and into unconsciousness. You wouldn't believe the weird dreams I had..." At the mention of his "dreams" and remembering Knight Renji, Neko Renji, and Inu Uryu, Ichigo slightly paled. "Why did I even dream of about them in the first place? Does it mean something?"

"Who did you dream about? Your dreams must have been something since you turned slightly pale."

"No worries about who I dreamed about. If anything, I would like to forget that I even had those dreams... I do have a question for you though, Renji isn't anywhere around here is he?" Ichigo began to search his surroundings again to make sure a long, haired red-head male was no where in sight. At this, Rukia gave the Substitute Soulreaper a weird,confused look.

"Of course Renji isn't here, you idiot. He's at Soul Society Headquarters waiting for us to return with a report. I wouldn't allow him in the room if our lives depended on it," answered Rukia as her face turned crimson at the thought of Renji seeing her and Ichigo in the situation they're in... She turned her face to hide the blush.

"Oh. Okay," returned Ichigo as stopped looking around the room for a guy who wasn't there. He turned his gaze upon the blushing, petite girl sitting next to him. At that moment, the moonlight that pierced through the glass of the single window glowed brighter then before. Because of this, Ichigo got an even better look of Rukia then he first did after waking up. His eyes widened, jaw dropped, and face turned so bright red it would put Renji's hair to shame.

From what he could see, Rukia's face was tinted red and her neck, shoulders, right-arm, chest, stomach, and legs were completely lacking any form of clothing. She was sitting there, on the same bed he was, completely naked, and Ichigo could see almost everything! His face turned even more red, if that was even possible, and gulped. Blood in his brain began to flow in a direction he did not think was possible and began to wake a certain area of his body. The Substitute Soulreaper, realizing what was beginning to happen in his middle region, wanted to turn away yet for some reason he could not. Normally, whenever Ichigo saw a woman naked, he blush and immediately turn away while screaming, "Put some damn pants on!" This time, however, he was lost in a trance and couldn't look away. If anything, he wanted to touch the soft, bare skin before him, caress it, and even kiss it. For some reason, Rukia' scent seemed to more powerful then it usually is and growing stronger by the second. Her scent invaded his nose as if to tease him. The way the moonlight from the window hit the petite girl just right, making her body glow in the darkness, made Ichigo want Rukia even more. He was no longer thinking with his normal head...

Then he heard it. A sound of something beating, beating like a small base drum. It was soft, but was slowly getting louder and louder. Ichigo was starting to loose himself to the sound, and his desire to have Rukia grew even more.

_Why do I suddenly feel this way? Why do I want Rukia so badly? Her scent smells so magnificent... Her beauty so breathtaking... Everything about her is so amazing... I just want all of it!_

With those thoughts in mind, Ichigo's brown eyes began to change to a shade of yellow and dulled with lust and want. He maneuvered his body just enough so his mouth was inches away from Rukia's neck. The orange-haired teen couldn't think anymore. All he wanted to do was kiss that pretty neck of hers and make her his.

"Rukia..." whispered Ichigo in a husky voice filled with want and desire. The way the Substitute Soulreaper spoke made Rukia's body shiver. The way her body moved made a smirk appear of his face.

"Rukia..." whispered Ichigo once more as he slowly leaned in. The distance between his lips and Rukia's neck was getting smaller and smaller...

Suddenly, a hand shot up and shoved his face away. Ichigo's eye color returned back to its normal amber as the desire and want in his eyes faded into shock and surprise. Rukia had used her right hand to push the orange-haired teen's head away from her neck. Once distance was made between Ichigo and herself, Rukia turned her gaze upon Ichigo with a look of annoyance on her face.

"Seriously, Ichigo, you need to learn to control yourself a little better. You just drank from me a little while ago and I haven't finish replenishing yet." Rukia let out a sigh as she turned her gaze away from Ichigo to the blood transfusion pouch which by now was half empty. "Could you at least wait til I'm done replenishing before feeding from me again? I don't have an unlimited supply you know."

Before Rukia spoke and Ichigo was pushed away by her hand, the Substitute Soulreaper felt rejected, disappointment, sadness, and anger. His anger, however, was at the petite girl and himself.

_Why did I do that just now? I never acted on my inner desires to the point of acting on them... Why did I loose control so easily? Damnit!_

With so many negative emotions running through him, all Ichigo wanted to do was dig himself a hole and forget the whole thing happened. When Rukia's words reached his ears though, all the negative feelings suddenly evaporated into nothingness and were quickly replaced by confusion.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Ichigo as he looked at the back of Rukia's head. "What do you mean you don't have an unlimited supply and that I fed off of you already? I'm so confused..."

It was Rukia's turn to become confused. Turning her attention away from the blood transfusion pouch, the raven-haired girl refaced Ichigo so that her eyes bored right into his amber ones. She could see the confusion written all over his face and eyes.

_He looks so confused... Why though? This isn't the first time this has happened and won't be the last..._

"Ichigo." At the sound of his name, Ichigo gave his full attention to the naked girl before him. "Do you not remember what happened a few hours ago?"

"I do. I remember that the two of us were fighting the four dragon-like hollows. You killed one of them. As I was about to attack them, they ran passed me to attack you. I stepped in and took the attack before falling to the ground. You caught me though. We spoke a bit and then I felt this horrible burning sensation that kept getting worse and worse til I finally fell unconscious. I had those weird dreams and then woke up here. I don't know why you're naked though..." At mentioning Rukia was naked, Ichigo's face turned a bright shade of red for the second time that night. Like earlier, though, he could not make himself look away.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Ichigo. We were fighting but not against 'hollows'..." answered Rukia as she placed her right hand on the left-side of her neck. "Don't you remember feeding off of me?"

"N-no... I don't even know what you mean by that," replied Ichigo who became even more confused.

"Is that so," spoke Rukia as she removed her right hand from her neck to put it beside her on the bed's side. As she did this, Ichigo directed his attention from Rukia's eyes to the left side of her neck. Looking closely, the Substitute Soulreaper could make out two puncture marks vaguely familiar to marks made by fangs...

"Do you not remember making love to me?"

_W-what? W-what did she just say?! We m-made love?! I don't remember that at all?! What the hell is going on?!_

* * *

**End of Chapter 5!  
**

**Whew, that chapter took awhile to write. I think it turned out well though and I just love ending my chapters with cliff hangers! lol. **

**Did Rukia and Ichigo really make love? Is Ichigo home? Is he dreaming? Also, what will happen to King Ichigo as he continues to travel around Karakura Town? What are the dragon-like hollows up too? Continue reading to find out what happens next! **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter :) **

**PS: Since it took me awhile to update, I will give you a little sneak peak for the upcoming chapter :)  
**

****** *Ulquiorra will be mentioned in some way! xD **

******PSS: Please Review!**


	6. The Encounter with 2 Nekos and a Hunter

**Hi again, my awesome readers! **

**Chapter 6 is now done and uploaded for you all to read :) Yay! This one was kind of hard to write at first, but once the first few words began to appear on the screen, the rest of the chapter just wrote itself! lol. **

**As you read this chapter, what happened in the previous one will make a lot more sense and you'll find out why Ulquiorra will be mentioned. Hehehe. **

**I hope you all enjoy reading the latest chapter! xD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo does!**

* * *

**Garden of Strawberries**

**Chapter 6:**

The quarter moon shined brightly in the midnight black sky with many little stars surrounding it. Beneath the rays of moonlight were two people, one tall with orange hair and the second short with medium length black hair. Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soulreaper, was staring at Rukia Kuchiki with wide eyes and jaw dropped. He could not believe the words that left Rukia's mouth even as they echoed in his head over and over again. The Substitute Soulreaper was officially in a state of shock.

Seeing that Ichigo was not going to answer her question anytime soon, Rukia let out a sigh of annoyance before turning her attention back on the blood transfusion pouch. By what she could see, the pouch was close to being three-quarters empty.

_I think that will good enough for now _thought Rukia as she reached for the switch of the blood transfusion pouch with her right-hand. _Better save the rest for later though. I have a feeling I may need to use this again real soon._

With the sound of a click, blood stopped dripping into the skinny plastic tube as well as into the Rukia's arm. Once the petite girl turned off the switch of the blood transfusion pouch, she carefully removed the needle from her arm and recapped it. Since she removed the needle, blood began to ooze out where the needle was inserted in her arm. Rukia new she had to make it stop as soon as possible so she looked around the floor for a piece of cloth. However, she could not see anything she could use. Because that was the case, the petite girl decided to use the one thing that would be useful to stop the bleeding and it was laying right beside her. A smirk appeared on Rukia's face as she reached her right hand out, grabbed the cloth she wanted to use, and pulled with all her might. Even though Ichigo was still in a shock from Rukia's words, he started to recover from it as soon as he suddenly felt a few degrees colder. He looked down where the white sheet once laid...

"Ahhh!" screamed a blushing Ichigo as he quickly covered his bare neither region with his hands. "W-why the hell am I naked?! Have I been naked this entire time?!"

"Yep," was Rukia's reply as she placed the sheet on her arm and applied pressure. While applying pressure to her left arm, the petite girl turned her head so she could see Ichigo's profile. The way the orange-haired teen was trying to hide "himself" made Rukia giggle.

"What are you laughing at?" demanded Ichigo as he curled his legs to his chest to further hide "himself" and as much of his naked body as possible. Rukia ignored his question and giggled again.

_Oh, god. This can't be happening! I'm totally naked and Rukia is acting all cool about it. What the hell! How can she be acting so cool when both of us are naked and sitting on the same bed? This is so embarrassing! _

"Ichigo, there's no need to hide you body from me you know," spoke Rukia as she tossed the blood soaked sheet in some random direction. It landed somewhere on the wooden floor with a soft plop. After tossing the sheet aside, Rukia manuevered her body around until she was kneeling on the bed right beside Ichigo. Sensing that the petite girl moved closer to him, the Substitute Soulreaper wrapped his arms around his legs to bring them close to his chest as possible. By doing so, he hid even more of his naked body.

"You do realize this isn't the first time I've seen you naked and this isn't the first time we made love," continued Rukia as she reached towards some of the longer strands of Ichigo's orange hair with her right hand. Once they were in her reach, she grabbed some very gently and brought the waist long strands of orange hair to her lips. When the long strands of hair were inches away from her lips, Rukia leaned in and kissed them. This action made Ichigo immediately turn his gaze from looking stubbornly forward to the naked girl kneeling beside him. Seeing Rukia kiss some of the strands of his long, orange, spiky hair made Ichigo blush even more.

_Wait. When did my hair get so long? My hair has only been short... The only times where my hair has been long was when I lost contol when I fought Ulquiorra and used the Final Getsuga Tensho against Aizen... Why now? _The "dreams" Ichigo had about Knight and Neko Renji as well as Inu Uyru suddenly came to mind and went in a flash. Worry started to build up in Ichigo's body...

"For a vampire, you sure can be shy," spoke Rukia as she kissed the long strands of orange hair a second time. "Normally, vampires are very sexual creatures and have no problems with showing off their bodies. I think you and Ulquiorra are the only vampires I know who are shy when it comes to that sort of thing. If you're wondering how I know that is just as shy as you, its because his human mate, Orihime, told me so. She and I have become great friends over the past couple of years." Rukia smiled at the memory of when she first met the auburn-haired girl, Orihime.

"D-did you just say I was a vampire?"questioned a confused Ichigo as the worry building up in body earlier began to grow at an incredible rate.

"Yeah," answered Rukia as she released Ichigo's waist long strands of orange hair from her grasp. The strands of hair returned to their spot behind his back silently as she reached up to touch his cheek. Once her hand came in contact with Ichigo's cheek, the petite girl began to caress it gently. "As your mate, I would know if you were a vampire or not. Besides, I think the marks on my neck and the one on the left-side of my chest would prove that fact. They're your bite marks after all."

With that, Rukia leaned in towards Ichigo until her lips met his in a soft, gentle kiss.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky, making the world below glow in all it's glory. People walked the streets of Karakura Town as they enjoyed the weather. Within the crowd of people, one person stood out from the rest. A little girl that was about five years-old was staring up at this person. She, like the rest of the crowd, were waiting for the walk signal to tell them that they can cross the street. Curious to know more about this stranger, the little girl let go of her mom's hand and walked in front of the person. She then started to tug on the person's pants leg to get the person's attention.

The "strange" person felt something tugging on his pants leg so he decided to see what was causing it. Honey-amber eyes met with dark red ones. When the little girl knew she got the stranger's attention, she began to speak.

"Mister, why do you look different?" questioned the little girl as she stared at the top of the stranger's head.

"Look different?" repeated the person in a masculine tone as he gave the little girl a weird look. Realization quickly dawned on him as he understood what the five year-old meant. "Oh, you must mean my cat ears and cat tail don't you. This is probably the first time you saw a neko like me."

"What's a nekoo?" asked the little girl as she tilted her head to the side in curiosity.

"It's ne-ko, little human," spoke the man with cat ears and a cat tail as he gave the little girl a small smile. "A neko is a human with cat like characteristics. That's why I have ears and a tail of cat. We're not that different from the humans."

"Oh, me see. You're a kitty then, Mister!"

"Kind of."

"Can I pet your ears?" asked the little girl as she gave the man puppy eyes.

"Sorry, little human, my ears are not allowed to be pet by just anybody," answered the stranger.

Tears began to form at the little girl's red eyes.

"W-why not? I thought kitties like to be pet."sobbed the little girl as she started sniffling. "Don't you like to be pet, Mister?"

"I do, but only by my special someone. It would be weird if I just let anybody pet me. Please understand. I don't mean to be mean," replied the neko to the little girl who began to cry.

"I-it's okay, M-mister," spoke the little girl between sobs. "I-I understand."

The little girl with short red hair wiped the remaining tears with the sleeve of her magenta jacket. Once the tears were all gone, she looked up at the man again and gave him a small smile.

"Who is your special someone, Mister? Mine is my mommy."

"Well, my special someone is a midget. A midget who I could never live without. She's very precious to me," answered the neko as he looked up at the sky.

"Mister, why is your hair orange?" asked the little girl randomly as she noticed the man's hair color. "You look like a carrot. A kitty carrot!"

"K-kitty carrot?" repeated the stranger as he gave the little girl a confused look. "I'm a ne-ko. Not a kitty carrot."

"Yes you are!" exclaimed the little girl as she clapped her hands together. By this time, the walk signal had changed. It said that it was safe enough to cross the street.

"Zoey!" called a female's voice "where are you?"

"That's my mommy calling for me so I have to go now. It was nice to meet you, kitty carrot!" spoke Zoey as she raced back to her mom's side. Zoey held her mother's hand as the two walked to the other side of the street. The neko followed shortly behind.

When the crowd of people reached the other side, Zoey gave the neko one final wave before the two walked off in opposite directions. Zoey began telling her mom all about the kitty carrot nekoo she just met. Zoey's mom wasn't sure what her daughter was talking about, but listened anyway.

The neko with orange hair and amber eyes continued to walk down the sidewalk. People that he passed continued to give him weird looks. As he walked, the neko looked up at the sky again and began to think.

_I still have no idea how I ended up in an alley way, but at least I'm in Karakura Town. It's strange that I haven't seen any other nekos around though. I wonder why...? I shouldn't worry about right now. I need to get back to Urahara's place where my midget is as soon as possible and get back at her for knocking me out unconscious. I didn't do anything wrong either! All I was trying to do was give her a bath-_

Something hard like steel connected with the orange-haired neko's body, knocking him onto his bottom. Being so lost in thought made the neko loose his concentration on where he was going.

"Ouch," said the neko as he rubbed his sore bottom. After recovering, the neko turned his gaze to the thing that had made him fall. Before him, was a very tall man with a coin wrapped around his neck like a pendant. He was wearing a pink Hawaiian shirt and midnight black jeans. The giant noticed that the man that had run into him had a pair of cat ears and a cat tail. He gave the neko a weird look before saying.

"Is that you, Ichigo?"

"Of course it's me, Chad. Who else would I be?"

* * *

Under the rays of the moon, Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Soulreaper, was being kissed by none other then Rukia Kuchiki. Her hand laid upon his cheek as she kissed the orange-haired teen. While she kissed him, Ichigo's amber-colored eyes widened in size and his grip around his legs loosened. The kiss was unlike anything he experienced before. It felt so nice and right. Eventually, Rukia released his lips and pulled away. The kiss may have only lasted a short time, but to Ichigo it lasted for almost an eternity.

After Rukia pulled away, she looked up at Ichigo. From what she could see, the Substitute Soulreaper was lost in a daze and his face was completely red. This made her smile.

"Ichigo, as much as I want to stay here by your side like this, I think its time for us to get dress and go make our report at Soul Society Headquarters. Orihime, Ulquiorra, Uyru, and Chad are probably waiting for us in the main lobby. Let's not make them wait any longer." With that, Rukia kissed Ichigo on the lips one more time before removing her hand from his cheek and getting off the bed. She walked around the room in search for her discarded clothing by kicking her feet around the wooden floor.

"I hope you didn't totally tear my hunter uniform like you did last time. I don't exactly have a spare with me this time around..."

Unfortunately for Rukia, her last words fell on death ears. Ichigo was lost in daze as his heart and mind raced. After Rukia had kissed him the first time and was speaking to him, the orange-haired teen used that time to check her neck and the left-side of her chest. He recognized the two fang-like puncture marks on her neck from earlier that night and noticed another set of fang-like puncture marks on her chest just above where heart would be. Rukia was definitely not lying when she said she was bitten by a vampire. The Substitute Soulreaper was going to say something about the bite marks on her chest and neck when suddenly Rukia kissed him for the second time that night. He watched her remove her hand from his cheek and start to get off the bed. Whatever the petite girl said after getting off the bed was unheard by Ichigo as he became lost in his own thoughts.

_I-I don't understand what's going on here? Why did Rukia say I was a vampire and that I was the one that left those marks on her neck and chest? I'm a Soulreaper and not a vampire yet those marks say otherwise... I don't even remember making love to Rukia! I haven't told Rukia how I feel about her yet but we're both n-naked and in the same bed together! And that thing about Ulquiorra being Orihime's mate can't be right. Ulquiorra died months ago... None of this makes any sense! _Ichigo's thoughts were going around wild in head and started to give him a headache. Suddenly, the "dreams" of Knight and Neko Renji as well as Inu Uyru came flashing in head again for the second time that night. Then finally, realization dawned upon him...

_ C-could this be just another dream? _

"Ichigo, you need to hurry up and get dressed. We have to meet up with our friends before going to Soul Society Headquart-" Rukia, who was buttoning the top of her hunter uniform, was not able to finish her sentence for a male scream cut her off. As the sound of the male scream was ringing in her ears, Rukia stopped buttoning her top and ran towards Ichigo.

"Ichigo! Ichigo, are you alright?!" cried the huntress as she sat down beside Ichigo on the bed. She placed her hands on his shoulders to see if she cold see what was causing him so pain. However, the orange-haired Soulreaper was double-over and holding his chest so she could not see the cause for his pain. Another scream escaped Ichigo's lips as the burning sensation when he was with Neko Renji and Inu Uyru came back at full force. The burning sensation was becoming way too much for Ichigo to take...

When Ichigo started to scream in pain for a third time, he fell backwards onto his back. The grip he had around his chest loosened dramatically and when this happened, Rukia could see the cause of the orange-haired teen's pain. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw four diagonal claw marks glowing on Ichigo's chest. Realizing that the claw marks were the source of Ichigo's pain, shereleased her hold on the Substitute Soulreaper's shoulders and began chanting. She was going to try to use a demon hunter healing spell to cure and close the wound. As she chanted, the burning sensation Ichigo was experiencing was getting more worse by the second. His screams turned into all out screaming...

Tears began to form in Rukia's eyes as the sounds of Ichigo's screaming rang in her ears while she chanted. Rukia hoped, with all her heart, that the healing spell would work and save Ichigo from his pain. Suddenly, as the demon hunter was about to finish her chant and release the healing magic, the light that came from the diagonal claw marks shot out an hit Rukia in her chest with such force it knocked her off the bed and right into a wall. Even though the collision with the wall caused some damage, the petite girl was able to quickly recover from the blow and stand up.

As she was about to run back to Ichigo's side, the sight before made her stop in her tracks. Before her, Ichigo was being engulfed into a cocoon of light. While the cocoon of light swallowed him, the last thing the Substitute Soulreaper heard was the screaming of his name. Then everything went black.

* * *

A man wearing black armor was walking down an alley way, trying to stay out of sight. He didn't want to get any more involved with the illusion that was known as Karakura Town. As Ichigo walked, a black cat jumped down from a near-by fire escape and landed gracefully in front of him.

Ichigo stopped in his tracks as the cat stared at him with its golden eyes. He set himself in a defensive stance just in case the black cat would do something to harm. The king didn't want to risk getting hurt by one of Aizen's illusions...

"What's wrong, boy? Scared of a little kitty cat?" spoke the black cat in a male's voice.

"Y-you can talk?" questioned a shock Ichigo.

"If I couldn't, I wouldn't be speaking now, would I?" answered the black kitty as he licked his paw.

"I would have never thought Aizen would come up with something like this. A talking cat doesn't seem something he would create as an illusion. Then again he has a sick sense of humor." Ichigo just glared at the cat while it groomed himself.

"I can promise you that I'm not some illusion," spoke up the kitty as he finished grooming its fur. "I'm as real as you are. Now follow me." The black cat began to walk away.

"Why should I?" demanded the king as he watched the talking cat move away from him. He was glaring at the cat from behind.

"If you wish to return to your home I suggest you follow me. I'm sure there's someone waiting for you to return isn't there?" replied the cat as he stopped in his tracks. The cat gave Ichigo a side-ways glance. As the cat's words registered in his head, an image of a petite girl with raven-colored locks, wearing pure white armor and wielding a sword as white as snow flashed before his eyes.

"Rukia..." whispered the king as he put his hand on his chest plate where his heart would be. "Fine, I'll follow you. However, if you try anything I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Very well. I'll keep that in mind. Now let's get going," said the cat with golden eyes as he started to walk out of the alley way. Ichigo followed suit, wondering where the talking animal was taking him.

* * *

In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Karakura Town, a man was laying on his stomach upon the concrete floor. A trail of dry blood left his lips as he slept. The sunlight that poured through the one window of the warehouse reached the man's face. With the sunlight in his face, he began to stir. As the man woke up from the depths of unconsciousness, he grasped his chest as it pounded in pain.

_Damnit. Why does my chest hurt all of a sudden? This pain is pretty intense... _

Even though he was in pain, the man was able to boost himself up into a sitting position. He still was holding his chest. Wanting to know where he was, the man took a look around only to see nothing but wooden walls and the one window. Then he looked down at himself.

_Why am I naked and where the hell am I? The last thing I remember was drinking some of her blood and then kissing her before we... _The man began to blush as he thought about what happened between him and his lover. At the mention of his lover, he immediately searched his surroundings to see if she was nearby. No luck.

_ Where is she and what is this place? Something is very wrong here, I just know it. _

After the pain had finally died down, the man stood up. He started heading to the door on the opposite side of the abandoned warehouse. On his way towards the door, the man noticed an abandoned, torn cloak on the floor. Seeing the cloak on the floor, the man walked towards it and picked up. He saw that it had a few tears in it and it was black of night with a hoodie attached at the top.

_This isn't the best piece of clothing or as good as my uniform, but it will do for now. I hope I can figure out where the hell I am and find her... _

With those thoughts in mind, the man put the abandoned, black cloak on his naked body. It fit quite well and hid the fact he was completely naked underneath. Once the cloak was tied to stay shut, the man took the hoodie part and placed it over to hide his waist long, orange, spiky hair... When that was done, the man continued his journey to the door of the place he was in. Once he reached it, the man wiped the dry blood from his mouth. With the same hand, he reached for the door knob and turned. Sunlight blinded the man as he stepped out of the warehouse.

* * *

**End of Chapter 6!**

**Whew, what a chapter that was. lol. It was close to being just as long as the previous one and so many questions still need to be answered. **

**Has Ichigo, Subsitute Soulreaper, been dreaming everything? Will King Ichigo find a way home? Is Chad seeing things? Who is the man who suddenly turned up in Karakura Town? What are the dragon-like hollows planning? Continue reading to find out!**

**I hope everyone enjoyed how Ulquiorra was mentioned in this chapter! This may not be the only time Ulquiorra will mentioned... Muwhahahahahah. lol. **

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one! xD  
**

**See you soon and please review!**


End file.
